Thursday, January 30

This weeks podcast is uber-focused on our tiny village of Piobbico -
Jason becomes a local weatherman and we breakdown/review the four bars
found in Piobbico. Plus we issue a warning on prohibited card and dice
games in town (photo above). Ashley retells the story of rolling our car down the hill
& being trapped inside & upside down! We also discuss our thoughts on Coca Cola & McDonald's infiltrating Italy. Finally, it never felt so good to be #2! We are incredibly proud to be #2 of 912 B&B's/Inn's in Le Marche, Italy on TripAdvisor and now we're on iTune's What's Hot List (all of this subject to change at a moments notice!)

Song of the week "Mama voglio anch'io la fidanzata" by Natalino Otto
Thanks for listening!!

Monday, January 27

In Italian, 'alla cacciatore' just means 'of the hunter', and since not all hunters are the same, neither are the 'alla cacciatore' recipes! Most Americans associate ‘cacciatore' as a dish with a tomato base - well, not this version! Braising the rabbit in vinegar creates one of the most mouth-watering, fall-off-the-bone dishes you'll try!

Rabbit (or coniglio) can be found in butchers & markets throughout Italy. It's savory, inexpensive and perfect for cookingalla cacciatora! Rabbit is an incredibly lean white meat you must be careful not to dry it out since there is so little fat. In
this recipe we braise it in diluted vinegar (acid) which breaks down the
meat - leaving it tender, juicy and oh sooo succulent!

I remember hearing that if you only had rabbit to eat to survive, you would probably die because there is not enough fat which is why I've always been surprised there hasn't been a fade-bunny diet (just like paleo or south beach, etc)!

I'm not sure why
rabbit gets such a bad rap (since recipes have been around for centuries) -maybe too many people associate it with
"Bugs Bunny" or the "Easter Rabbit" or had one as a pet... I know many of you have strong feelings on eating a fluffy white rabbit - but isn't it the same as eating a fluffy white lamb or pig or any other meat for that matter? For the record I had a pet bunny as a kid named "Thunder" & have no qualms eating rabbit for dinner, in fact I love it!

Coniglio or rabbit is on many many Italian menus all across the
country - from roasted, stewed, in sauces & even in the style of
porchetta. Give it a try, it's
absolutely delicious especially with a side of roasted potatoes with
rosemary!!

Want to learn more about cooking rabbit or see this dish made LIVE before your eyes?! (Sounds soo dramatic I know!) Sign up for our next LIVE from ITALY Online Cooking Class on February 16, 2014. Jason teaches not only how to make this dish along with roasted rosemary potatoes but a lesson on braising and knife care 101! (Register via email: info@latavolamarche.com)

Braised Rabbit (or Chicken) in the Style of the HunterConiglio alla Cacciatore

If using rabbit soak in cold water for a couple of hours to extract any blood. Change the water once during this process.

Clean and pat dry rabbit/chicken and then season with salt and pepper.
In a heavy bottom pan over medium high heat sear rabbit/chicken in a few
glugs of olive oil. About halfway through the searing process once
you have turned all the meat over, add in your sage and garlic.

In a glass combine 1/2 cup white wine vinegar with 1/2 cup water. Once
the meat is seared, turn down the heat and add vinegar mixture to the
pan. Cover the pan with a parchment paper lid (allowing some of the
liquid to cook out) and braise slowly, 30 to 50 minutes depending on the
size of rabbit/chicken pieces. Give everything a turn every 10 minutes
or so. Be sure to control pan heat and continue to add vinegar and
water in a 1:1 ratio as needed to keep the pan from going dry.

Once meat is tender transfer to a warm serving plate. Remove garlic
cloves from the pan and discard (or just mush them into the pan sauce
if you like.) Chop anchovy and dissolve into the pan and finally in go
the capers and parsley. Check Seasoning and pour over warm meat with a
drizzle of good olive oil. Serve.

This week's podcast is jam packed!! We chat about our upcoming online LIVE cooking classes and give an update on our salami & sausage
making (plus I'm posting a video on vimeo & youtube "The Meat Machine") Then the conversation starts to really wander from an Oscar
Nominated Italian film to celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the
Americans Bombing Urbania (accidentally) during WWII! We strongly urge
listeners not to buy plane tickets on Alitalia and just when you think
he's gone for good...Berlusconi's back! We answer your burning
questions (keep them coming by the way) and read through The Local's
list of Top 10 Italian delicacies foreigners can't stomach - adding a
few of our own to the list as well! International shout-outs and the
song of the week....

Tuesday, January 21

This week La Tavola Marche’s
LIVE Online Cooking Class is all about local comfort food. A creamy
pasta sauce with sausages and carrots along side baked vegetables with
bread crumbs will become instant classics. We will end the class with a
very local specialty originating with the fishermen of Fano - la morreta, a caffè (espresso) made with liquor, sugar and lemon rind.

Our classes focus not only the recipes at hand but the technique and
theories behind each dish. It’s more than just watching an episode of a
cooking show on television because this is not only LIVE but
interactive! Students/viewers will have the chance to ask questions
along the way since all the cooking is done together LIVE! Either join
in the fun and cook along with us (invite a few friends over and cook together!) or sit back and watch with a glass of
wine.

Please send an email and include your preferred time slot (Early or Late). Once
payment is received (via PayPal) we will send you the recipes,
ingredients & equipment list plus the all important pre-class prep
list!

Sunday, January 19

Moretta Fanese or better known in these parts as "la moretta" is a local specialty of caffè
spiked with liquor (a mix of anise, rum and brandy), sweetened with
sugar and the signature twist of lemon! Moretta Fanese was born in the
seaside village of Fano. Sailors and fishermen from the Marche port may
have created the drink, to keep warm and leave for the Sea invigorated!

It
is strong and sweet, and usually drunk after meals as a digestive.
With a belly full of grilled fish, 'una moretta' is just what the doctor
ordered! (Literally as well - because Dr. Gaggi LOVES a good moretta
Fanese!

If you have a steamer: Heat rum, anise and brandy slowly over low heat. Then add the sugar and lemon rind, mix until it's dissolved.

(OR Make a 'poor man's double boiler. Mix the liquor together into a heat safe glass/bottle. Place in double boiler and warm over low heat. Place the lemon zest and sugar in a glass and then pour warm booze over top.)

Pour
into a small glass or espresso cup (make sure the lemon rind is in the
cup too). Then gently pour the fresh espresso into the glass. Locals
like to keep the layers (liquor, coffee, coffee froth) intact - so don't
mix it up - just drink.

Thursday, January 16

During a two part podcast, we fire up the mics while driving to Fano
for our first round of sausage & salami making with Dr. Gaggi &
Vittorio. Along the way Jason gives his Unofficial - official tips to
driving in Italy! In part two, we recant our day with the doctor
including a visit to a small scale commercial slaughter house & as
usual come away with some great stories to share! Conversation turns to
complaining about facebook while we promote our newest short video: I
love Festa della Befana. Jason explains why our new LIVE from ITALY Online Cooking Classes are more about technique and theory than just the
recipe at hand. The song of the week: L'Appuntamento by Ornella Vanoni

Saturday, January 11

La Tavola Marche's next LIVE from ITALY: Online Cooking Class is Sunday, January 19th - direct from our kitchen in Le Marche!

The class will focus on not only the recipes at hand but the technique and theories behind each dish. It's more than just watching an episode of a cooking show on television
because this is not only live but interactive! Students/viewers will have the
chance to ask questions along the way since all the cooking is done LIVE! Either join in the fun and cook along with us or sit back and watch with a glass of wine. This week's menu will include Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Onion & Oregano and Whole Fish in Salt Crust!

Fish can sometimes be intimidating to clean and cook, it's not the first thing people tend to make at home. Many of our guests/cooking students have said, "Sure when I go out to dinner, I ALWAYS order fresh fish but have never have tried to make it at home!" Well, this class is for you!

In case you are wondering what our cooking classes look like - here's a glimpse!

Please send an email and include your preferred time slot (Early or Late). Once payment is received (via PayPal) we will send you the recipes, ingredients & equipment list plus the all important pre-class prep list!

Thursday, January 9

This week's Podcast from Italy we recap of the Festa della Befana festivities in
Urbania! Jason and I shot video and did a few 'man on the street' interviews with locals and talk about
traditional foods served at the festival each year. Above is the 30 second teaser/trailer for the short film we're working on! Time to start the
in-house charcuterie but it's a little hard when there are no pigs ready
to be butchered! Plus we announce the next LIVE from Italy Online Cooking Class & menu!

Monday, January 6

Fields of wild radicchio ready to be sauteed, young nettle perfect for
tongue tingling ravioli, rich & creamy artichoke risotto - the
flavors of Spring in Le Marche, Italy. In our farm to fork cooking classes we will collect wild edibles for both a pasta class and a five course Italian dinner party! Learn to make pasta (both cut & stuffed) with two seasonal sauces as well a complete menu of antipasti, primo (first course), secondo (main course), contorno (side dish) and dolce (dessert). Plus this is the time of year that we
refill our cantina with local wines and we need your help bottling,
corking & labeling the hundreds of liters of red, white & rosè!